Documents and other sheet-like elements are often bound in a supporting binder. Ring binders are widely used for holding a plurality of interrelated documents and records. The loose leaf documents are easily inserted and removed, and the binder is readily reused if the content is no longer needed. In sales presentations and business reports, a professional presentation of the bound material is desirable. Such binders should present the subject matter in a pleasing and interesting manner. Reports and sales presentations in particular may require an assembly of certain documents in a predetermined order to be presented and discussed or reviewed. Generally, three ring binders are used in such circumstances. These binders have a spine or base hingedly connected to front and back covers. The spine or base may be a solid backing member to which a ring assembly is secured. The front and back covers may be formed of a relatively flexible material, or of a relatively solid material interconnected to the spine or base through a suitable flexible connection therebetween.
Several devices are currently available to identify the binder and its contents without opening the binder and viewing its contents. However, none of the devices thus far have proved satisfactory. One attempt to satisfy the needs discussed above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,275 (Brook). This patent describes a binder having a transparent cover plate and a card holding frame built into the front cover of the binder. The frame has several securing slots, and the transparent cover plate has several securing lugs. A card or label is placed within the frame, and the transparent cover plate is positioned overlying the card or label such that the securing lugs of the transparent cover plate are inserted into the slots of the frame. Due to the relatively small size of the card or label, only a limited amount of information such as the title and a brief description of the contents, ownership or the like can be displayed.
A frame assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,085 (Steeb et al.) provides for a somewhat larger display sheet on the front cover of the binder. In the Steeb et al. patent, the binder has a frame assembly imbedded in its front cover for displaying a photograph or the like. A photograph-receiving tray which forms a part of the frame assembly is disposed within a complementally configured blind opening in the cover and is supported by a backing member of the cover along the bottom of the blind opening. The tray is adapted to releasably retain a frame in abutment with the outer surface of the cover for holding the desired photograph in a displayed position on the cover. Although the Steeb et al. patent allows the display of a much larger display sheet than the Brook patent, it is still preferable to have the option to provide larger display sheets.
Reference is also made to U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,069 (Lane) in which slits are provided in a mounting sheet at the corners of the display sheet. In this construction, however, the display sheet may bow out from the mounting sheet, between the corners thereof.
The need to present larger display sheets has been addressed in a binder where a clear plastic outer sheet is attached to the cover and/or spine with an open top edge through which a display sheet may be inserted. This allows the presentation of a display sheet as large as the front cover of the binder. These two prior arts have addressed the problem of accepting display sheets which have dimensions as large as the front cover of the binder, but they have not addressed the need to allow the flexibility of presenting display sheets which are also smaller than the front cover. It is generally difficult to properly position a display sheet in the pocket when the display sheet is smaller than the front cover and/or pocket. When the display sheet is placed in the desired position, it will have a tendency of eventually shifting to an undesired position.
The problem of presenting display sheets smaller than the front cover and/or pocket is resolved to a limited extent by providing a mount mat assembly which includes a mount mat and a display sheet. The mount mat substantially corresponds to the size of the pocket, and an appropriate display sheet is affixed to the mat by glue, tape, or some other securing means. The mount mat assembly is then inserted into the pocket. With the mount mat assembly corresponding to the size of the front cover and/or pocket, the display is maintained in the desired registry within the front cover and/or pocket. The problem with the mount mat assembly is that it is often difficult to properly align the display sheet relative to the mount mat. Another problem is that the display sheet can not be readily replaced with another display sheet due to the relatively permanent securement of the display sheet onto the mount mat. If less permanent methods are used to secure the display sheet onto the mount mat, there is a greater likelihood that the display sheet will shift.
Thus, there remains a need for presenting display sheets on a binder in a reliable and rugged manner while maintaining a highly professional and pleasing exterior presentation of the display sheet, as well as permitting easy assembly and disassembly of the tab assembly.